Natori: Eau De Parfum Spray - New

This is the second release of self named scent by famed lingerie designer Josie Natori, and is found at Saks Fifth Avenue and at the Natori website.

"A floral oriental chypre, this fragrance opens with an effervescent bouquet of fresh rose petals enriched by deep, dark plum notes. The heart is an exotic and alluring hybrid of Ylang Ylang, Purple Peony and Night Blooming Jasmine. Slipping languidly over pulse points, Black Patchouli, Amber and a hint of Satin Musk complete this mysterious and tantalizing fragrance."

In layman's terms I'll say this: This is definitely a 90's type of perfume lite. For me, at first it is a bit powdery, then as it warms, begins to develop a bit of a candy sweetness. If you liked Dior's original Poison, this is in the same camp, only lighter. Poison is one of the biggest selling perfumes of all time (myself as a customer included), so that's big fan base potential.

In addition, the kicker to making it a "must have" is the packaging. Face it beauty lovers, half of the joy is the product, and the rest is what encases it. Natori knocks it out of the park with a super stunning, deep purple bottle said to resemble the opening petals of the lotus flower. It fans out at the top, yet is narrow and smooth and comforting. It is pleasing to hold, like a worry stone. Toward the bottom, the bottle indents with little glass windows. I don't know what other purpose it provides, but it adds an interesting visual touch, and insight into how soon you will need to replace your bottle. Work. Of. Art.

The silk body creme jar also comes in very pleasing packaging, and I find perfumes often translate very well into cremes. This is worth picking up for the collector.

A Good Read: Schiaparelli Shocking - the original Gaultier bottle

When John Paul Gaultier first came out with his line of "corset" perfumes, they looked all too familiar. That's because two Elsa Schiaparelli bottles have sat on my dressing table since high school, passed on to me by my incredibly fashionable aunt.


As someone interested in design, I instantly fell in love with the dress forms the bottles were mimicking. If you look closely at the smaller bottle, there is actually a measuring tape, and seal underneath. The large bottle had been full of the signature scent Shocking. During a move, it opened, corroding the flowers and ruining the tape. Ah well, it is still lovely.






















I love everything about these bottles. The beauty of the forms. The glass and enamel leaves and flowers. The embossed lace design. The velvet lining. The smaller bottle still has the stand, it is just not attached in the photo. The underside is shocking pink. They've got some wear because they were used, but they represent a time when beautiful detailing was crucial to packaging, not a project cost killer. Oh the thrill to touch the throat with the golden, glass stopper. This is part of the experience a simple spritz cannot match.

















Schiaparelli was Coco Chanel's biggest competitor, and was known for bringing fashion to the masses. After the war, her perfumes sold particularly well, but the downfall to her line was that it was easily copied. I don't know if this is the case, but I'll give Gaultier the benefit of the doubt and cast his line as a tribute.

If you'd like a good read, check out this designer who pushed the creative envelope for fashion. If you're a fan, give Schiaparelli a shout out!